Seaweed Salad Sesame Ginger (Printable Version)

Fresh wakame seaweed tossed with crisp cucumber, carrot, and scallions in a tangy sesame-ginger dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seaweed

01 - 1 ounce dried wakame seaweed

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

02 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
03 - 1 small carrot, julienned
04 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced

→ Dressing

05 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
06 - 1.5 tablespoons rice vinegar
07 - 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
08 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
09 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
10 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
11 - 0.5 teaspoon chili flakes

→ Garnish

12 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
13 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

# How To Make:

01 - Place the dried wakame seaweed in a bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 7 to 10 minutes until fully rehydrated and tender. Drain well and squeeze out excess water.
02 - In a large bowl, combine the rehydrated seaweed, cucumber, carrot, and scallions.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, grated ginger, maple syrup or honey, sesame seeds, and chili flakes.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine all ingredients.
05 - Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with additional sesame seeds and chopped cilantro or parsley.
06 - Serve immediately or chill for 15 to 30 minutes for enhanced flavor development.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes flat, no cooking required, just quiet knife work and a whisked dressing.
  • The sesame-ginger dressing is so addictive you'll find yourself making extra to drizzle on other vegetables.
  • It tastes even better the next day when flavors have time to get to know each other.
02 -
  • Oversoaking the seaweed turns it into mush, so set a timer and trust it—7 to 10 minutes is the sweet spot where it's tender but still has backbone.
  • Grating your ginger fresh makes such a difference that using bottled will feel like a compromise, so invest two minutes and you'll taste the difference.
03 -
  • Make your dressing first and let it sit for a few minutes—the ginger will infuse more deeply and the flavors will taste more cohesive by the time you pour it over.
  • If you're not serving right away, keep the dressing separate and toss the salad just before serving so your cucumber stays crisp instead of turning soft and sad.
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